The predictability
The predictability of credit cards is easy to see. If the cardholder is current on paying bills and the merchant accepts that particular kind of card, the person knows that he or she will not be turned down on a purchase. Even the general appearance of the cards is highly predictable.
Finally, the use of dermatologiCal control in the contemporary rationalization process is apparent in the credit card industry. These technologies range from the computerized system that determines whether or not a new credit card will be issued to cards embedded with computer chips, ATM machines, and online systems that permit instantaneous transfers of funds. As Ritzer's application of the concept of rationalization to the credit card industry shows, many of Weber's ideas have served as the springboard for contemporary sociological theories and research. Weber made Significant contributions to modern sociology by emphasizing the goal of value-free inquiryand the necessity of understanding how others see the world. He also provided important insights on the process of rationalization, bureaucracy, religion, and many other topics. In his writings, Weber was more aware of women's issues than were many of the scholars of his day. Perhaps his awareness at least partially resulted from the fact that his wife, Marianne W<!ber,was an important figure in the women's movement in Germany in the early twentieth century (Roth, 1988).
